Sashi Cheliah, MasterChef Australia 2018 winner, will judge Celebrity MasterChef Tamil, hosted by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, bringing his culinary expertise to Tamil television. Sashi Cheliah, winner of MasterChef Australia 2018, is set to judge Celebrity MasterChef Tamil. Hosted by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, the cooking show will bring together celebrities from the Tamil entertainment industry.Sashi, who was born in Singapore and later moved to Australia, began his career with the Singapore Police Force before pursuing cooking and eventually winning the tenth season of MasterChef Australia in 2018. He says, “My journey to the MasterChef kitchen was anything but conventional. I began my career in the Singapore Police Force, so the thought of one day stepping into the MasterChef Australia kitchen and eventually winning the trophy was something I could never have imagined. The Indian and Southeast Asian flavours that shaped my childhood and culinary identity became an integral part of that journey and reminded me of the power of food to tell stories about who we are and where we come from.”He adds, “Coming to Celebrity MasterChef Tamil as a judge feels special because I know exactly what it is like to stand on the other side of the kitchen, experiencing the nerves, pressure and uncertainty, but also the excitement of creating something you are proud of. This time, I get to experience that magic from the other side. I’m looking forward to meeting our celebrity contestants, pushing them beyond their comfort zones and discovering the stories and flavours they bring to the kitchen.”In an earlier interaction with us in 2022, Sashi had spoken about his relationship with food, his accidental journey into cooking, and how his Indian roots, Singaporean upbringing and Australian life have shaped his culinary style. Speaking about what food means to him, Sashi said, “Food is love for me; it comes from home. We always cook with love and passion. If we don’t have love while we are cooking, it will not be on your plate. I am very connected to that thought. It can be any kind of love, between parent and child or husband and wife. If you are giving something to your loved ones, you need to have that translated on the plate.”His entry into the culinary world was also unexpected, given that he had spent two decades in law enforcement and had always been into fitness. Recalling how he found his way into cooking, he said, “I am a purely accidental chef. I was into fitness all my life and had been working in law enforcement for the last two decades. Four years ago, I took the decision to step out of my comfort zone and start something new, and that’s what I am doing at the moment. In fact, when I went to the reality show, all I was looking for was some money to start a business that would be related to food.”
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Share OpinionHis cooking style, meanwhile, evolved from a desire to recreate the flavours he missed after moving to Australia from Singapore. He said, “When I moved to Australia from Singapore, I missed authentic South East Asian food. I missed the street food that the hawkers make. So, I ended up cooking at home. I wanted my kids to enjoy what I enjoyed. This led me to playing with plating and making food look presentable for them. That is when I realised that while food needs to be authentic, robust and flavourful, it also needs to look presentable.”